We are all seekers of bliss. We imagine that bliss is when we our dreams are fulfilled. What are our dreams? Let us list them. Where do I start? Each one of us has our own bliss priority. I can generalize, dear ones but please do not be cross with me. Continue reading
And not a drop to drink.
Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water everywhere
Nor any drop to drink. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
A charm to hasten the coming of the rains.
(Atharva Veda; Book 4; Hymn XV)
Children are little sparks of divinity. It is written in the Upanishads, Bhagwatam and all our scriptures that children have come into our circle due to some mystical past and karmic connection. They are souls on a great pilgrimage, on their way towards attainment of a divine destiny. Continue reading
We are all fascinated by time and now it has become so important for us. Let me start with Face Time, Zoom time, Amazon Delivery time and so on. All these times are very important part of our lives, especially Amazon Fresh, which delivers organic vegetables, and you have to give them the time when they can come.
A minute goes by so fearfully quick; you might as well snatch a Bandersnatch! – Lewis Carroll
Hope is the thing with feathers
By Emily Dickenson (1861)
Hope is the thing with feathers–
That perches in the soul–
And sings the tune without the words–
And never stops-at-all–
And sweetest –in the Gale—is heard–
And sore must be the storm–
That could abash the little Bird.
That kept so many warm–
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land–
And on the strangest Sea–
Yet—never—in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of me.
We are battling noise. We are surrounded by it. How can we define Mauna (silence)? It is the language of God which can only be heard when there is peace of mind. It is the language of the heart. How do attain Mauna or silence of the mind and our senses? Continue reading
Divine grace is the ultimate answer to all our problems. You feel the presence of your friends, children, pain, worries and problems all the time, but one does not know how to feel the presence of God. Continue reading
During the 9 days of worship of the Mother Goddess, the triumph of the divine feminine trinity of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi occurs. In the course of this festival of Mother worship, respect is shown to young girls, married women, young learned boys, elephants and cows. Navratri represents the internal conquest of negativity. Continue reading
Chaitra Navratri signifies the creation of the universe and the beginning of the universe and beings. Durga Ma was engaged in the procreation of the world and therefore this festival is considered to be the beginning of the Hindu year. It also demonstrates the synergy between Devi and Rama. What is our role and how can we celebrate Chaitra Navratri with our hearts and souls. Continue reading
The more I live, the more I become convinced everyday that every human being is divine. In no man or woman however vile, does that divinity die… You must know what you are, what your real nature is. You must become conscious of that infinite nature within. Then your divine bondage will burst. – Swami Vivekananda
The main idea in Tantra is having faith in oneself, which according to Tantra is equivalent to having faith in God because neither Tantra nor Vedanta views God as something different from the person. Therefore, if we leave aside the idea of God sitting somewhere up in heaven while we are down here faith in God simply means having faith in ourselves, in what we do and express and achieve to the best of our ability—slowly and slowly developing the creative aspect of our personality. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati
The practice of Atmabhava (love for humanity) is like being aware of all the gods 24/7. We have seven days in the week and each day is allocated to a God.
Monday is dedicated to Shiva. Devotees fast for the whole day and can have one meal only. Fasting starts after sunrise. After rising from the bed, one should meditate on Shiva. Then have a bath and offer prayers to Shiva and Parvati. If fasting, wear white clothes. White flowers and white food are offered. Benefit is to receive Shiva’s blessings. Continue reading
Swami Vivekananda said,
Mother is the first manifestation of power… With the name of mother comes the idea of shakti divine energy and omnipotence, just as the baby believes its mother to be all-powerful, able to do anything. The Divine Mother is the Kundalini sleeping in us; without worshipping her we can never know ourselves.
Who is the father? Continue reading
Taittiriya Upanishad says,
Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava. Let you be the one, who worships mother, father, teacher, and guests as God.
What if we cannot revere our parents? Continue reading
Have you ever thought as to why cakes are round? I personally prefer square cakes as they are easier to cut. Raising twin sons and baking cakes all the time, I found baking a square cake was so practical. There was no wastage and no quarrels as to who got the largest slice. It is also more economical. Continue reading